Tag: John Wall

John Wall hit Desmond Bane with a nasty lob during a pick-up game

Wall went deep into his bag of tricks before hitting Bane with a nasty lob during a recent run in Miami.

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Projected first-round pick Desmond Bane has been busy training ahead of the NBA draft and the former TCU guard recently took part in a pick-up game with Washington Wizards guard John Wall. Based on a video that surfaced, Bane looks more than ready to make the transition to the NBA.

Bane linked up with Wall, along with Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond and Minnesota Timberwolves forward James Johnson, during a run hosted by noted trainer Stanley Remy in Miami, and Bane and Wall had the entire gym buzzing after their play.

Wall is seen dribbling the ball up the court and, then, he digs deep and pulls a few tricks out of his bag before gathering himself and lobbing the ball up to Bane at the rim.

Bane was named to the First Team All-Big 12 last season after averaging 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 32 games with the Horned Frogs. He emerged as a strong catch-and-shooter threat from deep, converting on 44.2% of his looks from 3-point range.

The 22-year-old believes he will be a mid-to-late first-round pick on Nov. 18 based on the feedback he has received from NBA teams. His shooting touch is noted but his athleticism and size and strength are also reasons why teams are intrigued by his overall game.

He certainly showed his athleticism in Miami…

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John Wall was hilariously playing a card game during his live ESPN interview

Why not?

We’ve grown increasingly accustomed to the in-home Zoom interview in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. And in a sense, it’s given sports networks an extra method of booking guests.

But hey, it can still be a lot to ask to get someone’s full, undivided attention during these unprecedented times.

Washington Wizards guard John Wall was a guest during the latest edition of Monday Tailgate on ESPN — an NFL show hosted by Jason Fitz and Field Yates. Wall is a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, so ahead of Monday’s game between the Cowboys and Cardinals, Wall agreed to jump on Zoom for an interview to discuss his favorite NFL team.

He just also happened to be playing cards — evidently, spades — during the live interview.

OK, that’s pretty hilarious.

Wall was handling the multitasking well at first until he got distracted when Yates asked a question about the terrible NFC East.

Honestly, I’m a bit surprised that neither Fitz nor Yates asked Wall about the card game. They just played it off like a regular interview.

To Wall’s credit — aside from that one question — he was able to conduct a live ESPN interview whilst playing cards way more efficiently than I would have expected.

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New trade suggestion has Sixers acquiring John Wall from Wizards

A new trade suggestion has the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring John Wall from the Washington Wizards.

The 2019-20 season is now officially in the books and everybody has now turned their attention to what is expected to be a quick and exciting offseason. For the Philadelphia 76ers, they are expected to make some type of move to improve the roster around stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

The Sixers don’t have too much money to spend in free agency so they have to make moves on the trade market if they are to add to their roster. Bleacher Report continues to push out some trade suggestions and this is another one to be evaluated.

The deal is the Sixers send Al Horford, Mike Scott, and Zhaire Smith to the Washington Wizards for John Wall.

B/R on the deal:

Wall’s remaining contract (three years, $131.5 million) could be one of the NBA’s worst if he’s not close to the player he was before, but the upside is high enough for a team like the Sixers to swap another bad contract for him.

Horford is owed $81 million over the next three seasons, and while he doesn’t offer the scoring or playmaking of Wall, his contract is far less dangerous on a team’s ledger. The Wizards could use him as their starting center while trying to get something out of Smith, the 16th overall pick in 2018.

Ultimately, though, this deal would be about getting off Wall’s contract.

A healthy Wall would give Philly an elite point guard and allow Ben Simmons to stay at power forward full-time. Getting rid of Horford’s deal should be a priority this offseason, even if it means adding another bad one at a position of need with Wall.

It makes a lot of sense. Philadelphia is in need of another ball-handler if they are to fully move Simmons off the ball and Wall is a guy, when healthy, who can be a dynamic player with the ball. He can score at the rim, he has a nice midrange jumper, and he is an aggressive guard around the rim and in transition. The big issue is his health as he has played a grand total of 73 games over the past three seasons combined and he just turned 30. This is a deal the Sixers would likely steer clear of. [lawrence-related id=38320,38317,38311]

LeBron James shouted out Rod Strickland for 20-20 game from 1998

LeBron James recognized Rod Strickland’s greatness in a tweet Friday.

Rod Strickland simply could not be checked on Feb. 10, 1998.

Strickland and the Washington Wizards were playing the Golden State Warriors, and the Wizards were 25-24 heading into the matchup. Golden State was 8-37. By the time the Wizards had finished beating the Warriors, Strickland had put together a stat line for the ages.

He had a triple-double, scoring 21 points, dishing 20 assists and grabbing 12 rebounds. According to Basketball Reference, he is one of four guards in league history to score at least 20 points, dish 20 assists and grab 10 rebounds. Russell Westbrook, Isiah Thomas and Guy Rodgers are the other three.

Strickland’s performance was so good, that Los Angles Lakers star LeBron James shouted it out Friday on Twitter, quote tweeting a highlight video that showed Strickland’s career night.

James has always recognized the league’s greats, and Strickland was one of the best guards of his era. He was a crafty dribbler and had one of the best layup packages ever.

In 17 seasons, Strickland scored 13.2 points per game, dished 7.3 assists a game and shot 45.4% from the field. He ranks third on the Wizards’ all-time assists leaders, right behind John Wall and the late Wes Unseld.

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Davis Bertans’ agent explains why his client won’t play in Orlando

Davis Bertans is the first NBA player to announce that he’s sitting out when play resumes. His agent, Arturs Kalnitis, explains why.

Today, Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans became the first player to officially announce that he has opted out of playing at Walt Disney World next month. Players have until June 24 to notify their team of this decision.

Bertans’ agent, Arturs Kalnitis, explained why his client chose not to play.

“To be completely honest, Davis was prepared to play and then he made a last-minute decision to sit out,” Kalnitis told HoopsHype. “We’re playing the cards that we were dealt. When the NBA announced that players who sit out wouldn’t face consequences and would just lose 1 percent of their salary for each game missed, we sat down to discuss this. Davis is about to sign the biggest deal of his life, so he would be taking a big risk by playing. It wasn’t a tough decision, to be honest. If the Wizards were in the fifth or sixth seed (or maybe even the eighth seed), it would be completely different. Davis is a competitor. But in this situation, he decided to sit out.”

Bertans is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Those who choose not to play will lose a portion of their pay (1/92 of the money owed to them for each game missed), but they won’t face any consequences. 

Washington is 24-40, which puts them in the East’s ninth seed (5.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic). Kalnitis said that the Wizards were very understanding when Bertans informed them of his decision.

“Davis and [GM] Tommy Sheppard have been talking on a daily basis,” Kalnitis said. “The Wizards have known about Davis’ decision for a few days, and Davis told his teammates before it was reported too. They have been so supportive. Tommy is the best. I really like his work, and he and Davis have a special connection. I wasn’t there when Davis informed Tommy and the Wizards of his decision, but Davis told me that they had a pleasant conversation and they were very supportive.”

Davis Bertans Wizards Washington NBA
(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

When asked why Bertans is sitting out, Kalnitis said that there were a number of factors that went into this decision – including the injury risk. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted, Bertans has had two ACL injuries in the past.

“The injury risk played a role in Davis’ decision, but it wasn’t the only factor,” Kalnitis explained. “I haven’t mentioned this before, but Davis has an insurance policy that kicked in at the start of the season so if he gets injured, he has a big, fat check coming his way. So, it wasn’t just the injury risk. I don’t want to go into details, but the injury risk did play a part in the decision.

“After not playing for four months, a few weeks isn’t enough time to get ready and return to playing. We’re not the only ones who are concerned about this. I’m not going to speculate on how many players will sit out, but we aren’t the only ones who are concerned. I saw that Jayson Tatum and a few other players who are on the verge of signing a big deal this summer raised some concerns [and got insurance policies].”

If the Wizards miss the playoffs, Bertans will lose $520,000 of his $7,000,000 salary for sitting out, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It remains to be seen if Bertans has played his final game with the Wizards.

“Everyone is wondering about his free-agency plans and what he’s going to do this summer,” Kalnitis said. “All I’ll say is that Davis loves Washington and as soon as free agency starts, they will be the first team that we meet with.”

The 27-year-old forward just had a career-year, averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 threes and 1.7 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three-point range.

Washington has repeatedly said that they’re focused on the future and that this season is about more than wins and losses (which is the same reason why John Wall isn’t returning until next year).

Bradley Beal, John Wall retell stories of horrifying police encounters

This is a shame.

It does not matter how rich a person gets or how much money a person has — structural racism and police brutality can impact anyone.

A story that Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal shared on Friday serves as a perfect case in point.

The Wizards and the WNBA champion Washington Mystics joined together to host a “Together We Stand” march against police brutality and racial inequality in Washington, D.C. on Friday for Juneteenth.

While marching, Beal spoke a bit with the media outside of the Wizards arena. He shared an experience the had when he was pulled over by police a couple years ago.

“It happened here, two years ago. I got pulled over on 495 and the officer asked me to step out of the vehicle. I’m literally on the side of the highway … my wife, me and one of my friends, sitting in the median of the highway, on the side, and he comes up to me and says, ‘What if I [expletive] up your Monday and put you on a headline and arrest you right now?’ I didn’t do anything.”

That’s absolutely terrifying. And it wasn’t just Beal, either. His superstar teammate has gone through it, too.

John Wall shared a story a few days ago with Caron Butler on the Tuff Juice podcast. He said he was pulled over because his tint was too dark just a few blocks away from his home.

Officers still removed him from his vehicle.

“I’m scared to get pulled over…I’ve seen some people on Twitter when I said that say, ‘Well, what are you scared to get pulled over for, they might want an autograph?’ I said, ‘No, it don’t work like that. I’m still a black athlete in America in this world and I know how it’s going.'”

Another horrifying experience for something as simple as a window being a bit too dark.

These stories just go to show us how deep the abuse of police power and racism can run. These are two NBA All-Stars. They’re also extremely popular in the city they play in. In Beal’s case, that was even used against him.

Money and popularity doesn’t deter racism or the structural racism embedded in our country’s systems. Imagine what could’ve happened if these two weren’t John Wall and Bradley Beal. These situations could’ve turned out far differently.

No amount of money they’ve made or experience they’ve had changes the color of their skin. And that, unfortunately, always presents a risk.

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Rui Hachimura participated in Juneteenth march with Wizards teammates

Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura was among the players on Friday that marched in Washington, D.C. for social justice reform.

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Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura was among the players on Friday that marched from Capital One Arena to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. to help raise awareness for police brutality and racism.

Hachimura joined with Wizards teammates John Wall and Bradley Beal in the two-plus mile march to help spark social justice reform on Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln to free enslaved people in Confederate states. In addition to the three Wizards players, members of the Washington Mystics, including Natasha Cloud, were also on hand.

During the march, Beal recounted a story from 2018 in which he was pulled over by a police officer and threatened to be put in a headlock on the side of a road. Beal went on to say that because he was Black and driving an expensive vehicle that he was profiled by the police officer and nearly arrested for no reason, something that happens every day in the United States.

Warning: Video contains explicit language

Historically, Juneteenth has been a day for Black people to help celebrate freedom but citizens around the U.S. used the holiday this year to continue raising awareness for police brutality and social injustices. The players onhand on Friday were seen wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, a movement started to condemn police brutality.

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John Wall sides with Kyrie Irving: ‘I think he has a point’

John Wall doesn’t blame players for not wanting to resume the 2019-20 NBA season at Disney World in Orlando.

Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley have sided with Kyrie Irving as he works to make a case that the NBA should not resume the 2019-20 season at Disney in Orlando while the Black Lives Matter movement has the nation’s full attention amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic. And now, another notable player has expressed he doesn’t think the NBA should end the hiatus, either.

Washington Wizards guard John Wall — who cannot play in Orlando due to injury, like Irving — doesn’t think he’d want to go play in Disney if he were healthy right now out of fear of injury.

While explaining his reasoning to Caron Butler on “The Tuff Juice Podcast,” Wall also added that he sees where Irving is coming from with his reasoning:

Kyrie has his things where he be in his own world… ‘The Earth is flat.’ But to be honest, I think he has a point. A lot of people feel that way. I think that’s why they tried to get on that call to see how many people really want to go play and how many people don’t want to play. Because with all this ‘Black Lives Matter’ going on and protesting and trying to get justice and all that; a lot of people feel like it’s not safe to go there. That’s what he stands on.

RELATED: Why Matt Barnes is questioning Kyrie Irving

RELATED: Stephen A. Smith: Kyrie Irving hasn’t ‘displayed his knowledge’

Washington Wizards NBA Championship odds, picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Washington Wizards winning the Eastern Conference and the 2019-20 NBA Championship, with picks and best bets.

The Washington Wizards were ninth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 24-40 when the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended. Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds of the Wizards winning the NBA Championship once play resumes with a 22-team format in Orlando, Fla., later this summer.

Washington Wizards season recap

The Wizards just made the cut for the 22-team bubble in Orlando, checking in 5 1/2 games back of the 8-seed Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards posted a 16-16 mark at home and a dismal 8-24 record on the road, worst among each of the 22 teams in the field.

The Wizards scored 115.6 points per game, while allowing 119.6 PPG, which was second-worst among all NBA teams and worst among all 22 clubs headed to the Orlando bubble. They’re -4.0 point differential is easily the worst among the 22 teams in the field, too, with just eight other teams featuring a negative differential – none worse than the Sacramento Kings’ -1.9 PPG.

The Wizards will only go as far as SG Bradley Beal can take them. He posted a team-best 30.5 PPG with 6.1 assists per game (APG), also the team high. SF Davis Bertans was second on the team with 15.4 PPG, a huge disparity between the leading scorer and second-best mark. However, Washington does have six current players scoring at least 10.5 PPG.

Looking to place a bet on the NBA Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Washington Wizards NBA Championship odds

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, June 10 at 6 a.m. ET.

If you’re into going to the local gas station and picking up a Powerball ticket, then a Wizards (+50000) ticket to win the NBA title might be right up your alley. You likely have a better chance of going out into your front yard and digging up priceless artifacts. The Wizards just haven’t been consistent at any point this season, and they were even worse away from home. Perhaps if PG John Wall (Achilles) was to make a miraculous and unexpected comeback, the Wizards could be a viable option, but that’s not likely. Even then, they’re the longest shot in the Eastern Conference. AVOID.

Washington Wizards Eastern Conference odds

The Wizards (+20000) are just NOT WORTH PLAYING, as there are so many better options in the Eastern Conference. The Wiz might not even win a single game in the 22-team bubble in Orlando.

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Contrary to speculation, John Wall says he won’t return this season

Despite having an additional four-and-a-half months to heal, Wizards guard John Wall reiterated that he won’t be returning this season.

As the NBA gears up to resume the 2019-20 season on July 31, there are some questions about which NBA players will be available when games get underway at Walt Disney World in Orlando. 

Because of the long break, some players who suffered a season-ending injury may be able to return to action since they’ll have had an additional four and a half months to heal. There’s been a lot of speculation about certain star players and whether they’ll be able to come back just in time for their team’s postseason run.

However, don’t expect Washington Wizards point guard John Wall to suit up in Orlando.

While he has declared that he’s “110 percent” healthy, the five-time All-Star has repeatedly said that he isn’t going to play this season. Head coach Scott Brooks and general manager Tommy Sheppard have echoed this sentiment. Earlier this week, Wall reiterated that he won’t be back until the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

“No. I won’t play at all. I’ll wait until next season,” Wall told 980 The Team’s Kevin Sheehan. “That decision has already been made. So, no, I’m not [playing].”

When Sheehan followed up by asking if he might consider returning if the Wizards have meaningful games down the stretch, Wall doubled down.

“Me not playing all season, I’m trying to get into a rhythm of practicing,” he said. “And the last two or three months, I haven’t been around the guys, I haven’t worked out with the guys, and we haven’t got any chemistry or anything like that. So, that’s a big factor. So, no, I won’t play at all. I’ll let those guys continue to work and keep getting better, and then I just can’t wait to get out there with those guys next season.”

This lines up with what Wall told NBC Sports Washington’s Chase Hughes back in April when he was asked if the extra time off could lead to a return: “Nah. One of my ultimate goals is to make sure I’m fully, all the way healthy… In our best-case scenario, we’re just going to wait until next season.”

Even though Wall and the Wizards keep shooting down any talk of a potential return, there continues to be speculation that he may play in July. SNY’s Ian Begley reported yesterday that despite the comments from Wall and the Wizards, “some Eastern Conference teams expecting to head to Orlando are planning as if Wall may return to the court once the season resumes.”

It’s possible that teams are just doing their due diligence and staying prepared for anything. Eastern Conference teams are likely preparing as if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving may return to the Brooklyn Nets once the season resumes too – just in case.

“Better safe than sorry,” one Western Conference executive explained. “I’m not sure how much teams are really ‘preparing’ for him to play. It’s more so just being aware of his strengths and weaknesses in the event that he does play. And I do think he should play. The Wizards have the least to lose of any team there, and they’re the only team in the league that seems to believe a backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal makes them a contender. If they actually think they’re that good when both guys are healthy and Wall is actually at ‘110 percent,’ then go play and take advantage of this insane opportunity! Wall said [he and his teammates lack chemistry], but the Wizards lacked chemistry without him this season so that’s not a compelling reason to sit out. At some point, you’re away from basketball for too long.”

Wall hasn’t played since December of 2018, when he suffered a left heel injury that required season-ending surgery. Then, in February of 2019, Wall fell in his home and suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon, which was expected to sideline him for an additional 12 months. But rather than rushing Wall back, the Wizards have been very cautious with his recovery process. 

Either this is a tremendous smokescreen by Wall, Brooks, Sheppard and others within the Wizards organization, or the 29-year-old isn’t ready to return yet. 

Prior to the injury, Wall was averaging 20.7 points, 8.7 assists 3.6 rebounds 1.5 steals in 2018. How will he fare once he returns?

“I think his return from injury is going to be met with a lot of skepticism around the league, but I wouldn’t write him off just yet,” the Western Conference executive added. “It’s probably more of a ‘prove it’ situation given how much he’s gone through. But in the East, I could see him becoming an All-Star again. He is very talented. There’s a path for him to be a pretty good player still. This feels like one of those situations where everybody turns on the guy and the pendulum has swung too far in one direction and now he’s under-appreciated. His contract may be bad, but he can still play (see: Chris Paul).”          

The Wizards are currently 24-40, putting them just 5.5 games out of the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed. Because they are within six games of the eighth seed, Washington will be one of 22 teams resuming play in Orlando.